Car underframe



Sept. 24, 1935. H. M. PFLAGER CAR UNDERFRAME Filed March 18, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l H. ,M.- PFLAGER CAR UNDERFRAME Sept. 24, 1935.

Filed March 18, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 24, 1935 H. M. PFLAGER CAR UNDERFRAME Filed March 18, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W e/war Mar 5 Patented Sept. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES ATE'T .OFFEQE CAR UNDERFRAME Application March 18, 1932, Serial No. 599,650

10 Claims.

This invention relates to railway rolling stock and more particularly to the formation of underframes especially adapted for use in side dump cars.

5 It is customary to provide a car underframe with side sills or center sills or both for the purpose of carrying the car load and transmitting longitudinal forces applied to the car. The car floor is mounted upon this underframe and the major portion of the .fioor consists of inclined elements located intermediate the center sills and side sills. Brake rigging, door operating mechanism, and other equipment must be located be tween the center sills and the inclined floors but this is rather difficult due to the restricted space. The floor structure must be substantial to carry the load and withstand the wear attendant upon the repeated discharge of coal, ballast or other similar lading over the floor.

The main object of the present invention is to reduce the weight of the underframe for a car of the type referred to, to provide increased space beneath the floor for necessary equipment, and to simplify the manufacture and maintenance of the underframe.

This object is attained by combining the car center sills and floor elements in a single unit. Preferably this unit will consist of integral cast structure and it is an additional object of the invention to include end sills, bolsters, cross beams, and side sills as integral parts of the cast metal structure.

These and other detail objects of the invention are attained in the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a top view of approximately onehalf of the car underframe.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the longitudinal center line of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end View of the underframe.

Figures 5, 6, and 7 are vertical transverse sections taken on the corresponding section lines of Figure 1.

The underframe includes bolsters, each having a front wall I and a rear wall 2 spaced therefrom and top and bottom walls 3 and 4 respectively whereby a box-shaped bolster is provided whereby the car is mounted upon the car truck, indicated by the wheels 5, by means of a center plate 6 preferably formed integral with the bolster. The underframe includes box-shaped end sill l and side sills 8 extend throughout the length of the car. Vertical webs 9 and i9 extend between the side stills at intervals intermediate the bolsters forming suitable cross beams.

Between each bolster and the adjacent end sill are spaced upright draft sills l preferably integral with the remainder of the underframe structure and including integral draft gear lugs i I and guides [2. Depending from the draft sills Iii and end sill l are integral elements forming a coupler carrier l3 and above the same is an integral striking plate [4.

Inclined floor panels l and I6 extend between the end sill and the bolster front wall I and between the bolster rear wall 2 and the adjacent cross beam 9 respectively. Extending between the end cross beams 9 at opposite ends of the car are other inclined floor panels ii and i8. Panels ii and I8 merge along the longitudinal center line of the underframe to form a narrow, flat member from which member panels l1 and I8 diverge downwardly and outwardly to a, point 6;

intermediate the center line of the underframe and the side sills where they form the inner edges of the openings 23 for doors D and preferably have door hinges 22 integral therewith.

Panels l5 and I6 over the trucks slope downwardly and outwardly less steeply than panels ll and I8 and extend far enough to overlie the truck wheels and form the lower edges of the openings 25 to which doors E are applied. Preferably hinge lugs 28 for the doors E are integral with the side sills 8.

Intermediate the bolsters, the space between the inclined floor panels on opposite sides of the car is free of longitudinally extending elements and is substantially unobstructed except for the transverse webs of the cross beams 9 and E9. The floor element 20 and the inclined panels may be thicker than necessary for floor panels only and constitute the center sill structure from bolster to bolster and are adapted to carry the car load and transmit the bufling and pulling forces applied to the underframe. The inverted V-shaped cross section provided by this center sill structure affords great rigidity well adapted to withstand deflection in vertical or horizontal directions and obviously the weight of the structure is substantially less than would be required in the usual center sill and superimposed floor construction.

The side sills form'the outer edges of the door openings and support the side walls of the car and brace the outer ends of the cross beams, bolsters, and end sills but do not function as primary members to support the car load or transmit the longitudinal forces applied to the car. The side sill intermediate the bolsters has an inwardly inclined web on the floor portion which narrows the door openings throughout this part of the car, but over the trucks the floor panels l5 and I6 are raised to such an extent that the side sill flange mentioned is undesirable and it may be omitted.

The cross beams form the ends of the door openings .and brace the sides of the inverted V shaped center sill structure at intervals, adding substantially to the rigidity of the latter. These cross beams may have suitable openings, such as indicated at 26 for example, adapted to receive train piping or other equipment and whereby the cross beams may be lightened.

The space between the diverging sides of the center sill structure accommodates brake rigging more readily than the usual sill and floor structure usually found in railway cars. At 2'! I indicate a brake cylinder bracket in a location which would not be available with the usual deep center sill spaced substantially from the longitudinal center line of the car.

Obviously, the cross section of the center sill structure may vary from the form shown and the floor panels may be of different widths and may be disposed at different angles than those shown.

t is not essential that the panels 15, between the bolsters and end sills, possess any center sill function in view of the presence of the draft sills ID at this point. If desired, draft sills or center sill members of the usual type could extend from the bolster inwardly to the first cross beam, leaving the remainder of the center sill structure of the inverted V-shaped floor panel arrangement described. These and other variations in the details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and I contemplate the exclusive use of all such modifications as come within the scope of my claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway car underframe, bolsters, a center sill structure between said bolsters consisting substantially exclusively of inverted ll-shaped cross-section of sufficient cross-sectional area to constitute the main force transmitting member of the underframe, and cross beams extending across the underframe and increasing in depth from their ends inwardly and bracing the sides of said center sill .structure and carrying the load at the sides of the car to said center sill structure.

2. An underframe as specified in claim 1 in which said center sill structure and cross beams are of integral cast metal construction.

3. In a railway car underframe, side sills, a center .sill structure of inverted V-shaped cross section, the lower edges of the legs of said structure being located substantially midway between the longitudinal center line of the underframe and said side sills, and cross beams between said side sills with elements extending from the lower 5 portions of said center sill structure upwardly and outwardly to said side sills, the space between the legs of the structure being substantially free of longitudinally extending elements other than the intermediate portions of said cross beams. 10

4. An underframe as specified in claim 3 consisting of an integral cast metal construction.

5. In a railway side dump car underframe, bolsters, cross beams spaced from said bolsters, side .sills connecting said bolsters and cross beams, and 15 inclined floor panels extending downwardly and outwardly from the longitudinal center line of the underframe, said floor panels forming the main longitudinal element of the underframe between said bolsters and cross beams and the space be- 20 tween said floor panels being substantially unobstructed between said cross beams and bolsters to accommodate other car parts.

6. In a railway car underframe, end sills, bolsters, cross beams, spaced upright draft sills be- 25 tween said end sills and bolsters, and a center sill structure between said bolsters and having an inverted v-shaped cross section forming side dump floors with a substantially unobstructed space between them except for said cross beams.

7. In a railway car underframe, end sills, boxshaped bolsters, cross beams, spaced upright draft sills between said end sill and the outer walls of each of said bolsters, and a center sill structure between the inner walls of said bolsters and comprising an inverted V-shaped member forming side dump floors with a substantially unobstructed space between them except for said cross beams.

8. An integral cast metal structure forming an 40 underframe as set forth in claim 6.

9. An integral cast metal structure forming an underframe as set forth in claim 7.

10. In a railway car underframe, side sills, bolsters, cross beams, a center sill structure of in- 45 verted V-shaped cross section between said bolsters, the space between the legs of the structure being substantially free of other elements, said cross beams having shallow outer ends merging with said side sills and relatively deep inner por- 5O tions merging with and bracing the legs of the center sill structure.

H. M. PFLAGER. 

